Salt and mineral feeders have been employed for feeding salt and minerals to dairy and beef cattle. Such devices normally comprise an open fronted housing bearing sidewalls, a rear wall and a roof, the units being formed of wood and/or metal such as galvanized sheet metal stock, and being mounted to runners for movement across the field within which the cattle are located. In some versions, due to the tendency for rain to enter the hopper or trough area in which the salt or mineral is dispensed, means have been provided for mounting the trough or hopper or the complete feeder for rotation about a vertical axis, with the unit employing a weather vane or wind vane to insure that the open end faces away from the direction of the wind. Known constructions come fully assembled, cannot be knocked down or dismantled, employ trough members which provide little resistance to rotting due to the corrosive nature of the salt or mineral being fed, provide surfaces where the salt tends to cake, and when formed of galvanized steel or the like, have a tendency to rust out due to the corrosive nature of the salt or other minerals. Where the feeders must be shipped some distance from their point of manufacture, shipment in fully assembled form is costly. Permitting on site assembly from parts requires considerable time and effort and a skilled carpenter or person with some knowledge of carpentry to achieve completion of the assembly from such parts.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved, knockdown, salt and mineral feeder for cattle and the like which is weather and salt resistant, which is formed of premanufactured wooden sub assemblies, and which can be assembled without the necessity for nailing of the parts together.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved known down weather and salt resistant, salt and mineral feeder for cattle and the like, in which the trough bearing the salt or mineral is formed of trough boards integrated into sidewall and rear wall subassemblies to form a highly sealed rugged trough structure remote from the open end of the feeder and resistant to night time dew and rain penetration.